Our stories
CHARLOTTE
VICARY
Charlotte’s story
“I am an optimist about the future of society and believe strongly in the positive role that business can play to improve quality of life for us all. Businesses can’t do this in the dark though so through consumer research and strategy, I have spent 25 years shining a light on what consumers need and how businesses can deliver it in a way that everyone involved benefits. For me, there is nothing better than the triple win of a delighted consumer, a proud employee and a healthy bottom line.”
ANNA
EGGLETON
Anna’s story
"I believe a customer-centric culture drives a more satisfying working environment, a better customer experience and ultimately greater sustainability for a company. Prior to joining The Customer Closeness Company I was a brand strategist both as a partner at The Brand Gym and previously to that a board director at The Value Engineers. My passion is unlocking commercial value by using insight to put customers at the heart of business’ strategy."
NICOLA
CRAIG
Nicola’s story
“My Customer Closeness journey began when James Murdoch, Sky CEO at the time, wanted to find out what was really behind supply chain problems Sky was experiencing. I created an ‘unsanitised’ experience of going out with a Sky engineer. Enlightened, James challenged me to develop a programme giving staff across Sky the opportunity to meet with customers first-hand. The programme was so successful in landing consumer insights and driving business change that it inspired me to found The Customer Closeness Company to do the same for others.
Nearly a decade on, it’s still so refreshing when a company steps off the treadmill of daily business life to connect with customers. I particularly love the power of it to challenge preconceptions about the reality of customers’ lives so that staff can make real-world informed, customer-centric decisions."
HEIDI
SELLIER
Heidi's story
" At The Customer Closeness Company my aim is to harness the power of qual, to really push the boundaries of understanding consumer worlds, no matter what the category or target – so that decision-making is intuitively driven by what will benefit the customer and thus drive growth for business. With a background in qual research gained over 20 years at award-winning agencies such as Kokoro and Added Value, and more recently time spent working in education with the most vulnerable children in primary school, my passion is to get under the skin of the reality of those who I talk to with a view to unlocking what really makes them tick and importantly how lives can be improved."
LUCY
NEWSUM
Lucy's story
"My curiosity about people, and desire to understand how we think and what we do, have been my north star throughout my career. I love sparking this curiosity within companies, uncovering impactful insights, and helping business to make better customer-centric decisions that drive growth. I am a sociologist, qualitative researcher, and coaching enthusiast. Prior to joining The Customer Closeness Company I worked at C Space and 2CV."
REBECCA
COOK
Rebecca's story
"I’ve always been fascinated by what makes people tick and reasons behind why they think or behave as they do; and it was this passion which kick-started my career as a qualitative insighter. I have an appetite for unlocking the truly powerful insights which transform how companies I work with see the world and their customers, to inspire change and, ultimately, drive commercial growth. Prior to joining The Customer Closeness Company, I ran my own freelance business, worked at The Value Engineers and MediaCom."
ALEXANDRA WHITTAKER
Alex’s story
"I joined The Customer Closeness Company in 2015 and have worked on customer projects in utilities, health and beauty and housebuilding to name a few. Little beats seeing the impact that meeting real customers has on organisations especially when it’s an emotional experience that spurs action. That’s when the power of insight to solve customer issues comes to life before your eyes."
JASMINE STANFORD
Jasmine's story
"Having approached research from a recruitment perspective prior to joining The Customer Closeness Company, I have a deep appreciation for the key role that respondent recruitment plays in ensuring high-quality research. My artistic education from the Royal College of Art, Goldsmiths University and Central Saint Martins enables me to bring a fresh and imaginative perspective to our work. I have a deep sense of curiosity and unique set of skills that fuels my efforts to assist in unlocking the human behaviour, motivations and attitudes that inspire transformative change."
AMY
DORLING
Amy's Story
"Throughout life I have been innately inquisitive about why people think, feel and act the way they do. My degree in English and Drama played a large role in developing knowledge around this subject and has left me wanting to expand my insights further. The Customer Closeness Company not only allows me to exercise this curiosity but has also introduced me to a way of working that can bring to life the customer voice in a creative and profound way. Early on in my career I have been exposed to the power customer insight has on key decisions within businesses and have seen that our work is fundamental to delivering impactful business action in an ever-changing world."
JOEL
MILLARD
Joel's Story
"For me, customer closeness is about creating moments that refresh and energise the teams we work with. Throughout my 10 years as a researcher, I’ve been driven by a constant curiosity to understand what really makes people tick. I believe that real progress comes when we pause to listen and dig into the finer details of human behaviour before bringing a plan to life. Today, I’m excited to apply that approach to help businesses bridge the gap between data and human connection, creating meaningful relationships with their customers that feel like a win-win."
LILI
JONES
Lili's Story
"Studying Human Geography at University sparked my interest in the world of research and ignited a deep interest in uncovering why people think the way they do. Travelling the world in my gap year furthered this curiosity and opened up a whole new way of thinking about people and our interactions. Joining The Customer Closeness Company is the next step in my research journey, drawing on prior experiences to bring a unique and fresh perspective to the work we do. Seeing firsthand the importance of the customer voice in research has highlighted just how impactful a customer-centric culture can be."
Want to make your business more customer-centric?
We'd love to hear from you
Charlotte: (+44) 7914 669265
Nicola: (+44) 7703 502596
Anna: (+44) 7500 703368
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